“We could hardly walk in the costumes! That’s how respectful we were of the game” hmv.com talks to the stars of Warcraft: The Beginning

After over a decade in development the big screen finally plays home to Warcraft, the all-conquering role-player game that once boasted over 15 million players across the world.

The movie, which has cost over $100 million to produce, has been directed by Moon's Duncan Jones and features a cast that includes Travis Fimmel, Paula Patton, Ben Foster, Dominic Cooper, and Toby Kebbell.

It is set in the fictional world of Azeroth and charts the battle behind orcs and men as they both battle to stave off impending extinction.

Warcraft: The Beginning hits DVD shelves on Monday (October 10th, you can pre-order it on the right-hand side of the page), but back when it was in cinemas we spoke to stars Paula Patton and Travis Fimmel to find out all about making this epic adventure...

How much did you know about the game when you were approached about the film?

Paula: “I knew nothing, I had no clue! I read the script, I really liked the character and so I met with Duncan. I remember walking into his office and he had so much stuff! All these amazing visuals! He explained it to me and after I signed up I met lots of people who loved the game.”

Travis: “We were very lucky that Duncan was such a fan. Robert (Kazinsky) was an even bigger fan though, he was playing for 18 hours a day at one point.”

How did you find filming when so much must have been added later in post production?

Paula: “I was scared, I’d never done a movie like this before, but it really wasn’t like that. The sound stages were incredible, you’d be in these beautiful forests or on a mountain-top. Everything was very practical, trust me, those swords were really heavy!”

Travis: “The orcs kind of had pyjamas on, these suits covered in these white dots. They looked like aliens anyway so it wasn’t hard to pretend that they weren’t human.”

How conscious were you about the fans of the game? There’s a lot of them…

Travis: “We’re telling the story before the game begins, but it’s a very respectful film, they spent so long getting the look of costumes and creatures right.”

Paula: “You have to stop thinking about it. You do what you can to honour the game, but all you can do is give your interpretation, but you can’t go on set everyday wondering what everybody else will think.”

How long did it take you to get ready every day?

Paula: “I think about four or five hours, but I was very grateful for that process, it really helped me get inside the character.”

What was the most exciting part of making the movie?

Travis: “Some of the sets were just mind-blowing. The detail and the size of the production was incredible.”

Paula: “It was one of my best and most challenging experiences. You have the scale of the movie, but also the soul connection and the friendships. The storytelling isn’t just about action, we wanted to move people. I loved it, it was like being a kid again, we were all playing make believe.”

How did you find working with Duncan? He’s been working on this film for about five years…

Travis: “I think he had two years before filming and then about three after. To make a film like this you need to be so prepared.”

Paula: “He was so calm. He’s a brilliant director, he’s also great at getting the most out of the female characters, I think he has such a love for women and how much he loves his wife and family. You can see that in the relationships in the film.”

What was the most challenging scene to shoot?

Travis: “Getting the costume on! The armour took four people to get on and three people to get it off! I couldn’t even get on a horse by myself. We could hardly walk in the costumes! That’s how respectful we were of the game.”

Warcraft: The Beginning is out now in cinemas and will be released on DVD later this year.